ABSTRACT
Sensitivity to race and ethnicity, as well as cultural appropriation, bring up major moral and ethical questions in historical adaptation today: The portrayal of historical characters raises concerns about the playwright’s perspective: in adapting historical material, the playwright has a moral responsibility to ensure that the received portrayal of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) characters does not convey to today’s audiences racist connotations when viewed from the present perspective. The same is true for adaptations that reference sexual preference or sexual identity, disabilities and any other persons and issues that have faced discrimination, but this chapter focuses on the issue of race and cultural appropriation. Examples include: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson by Alex Timbers and Michael Friedman, The Discovery of America by Arthur Kopit, Where the Summit Meets the Stars by Frank Henry Kaash Katasse and Roe by Lisa Loomer.
